Not each Halloween horror journey has to frighten you. Including beloved classics for example animated detectives to delightful stories such as Over the Garden Wall, numerous spooky-season staples provide fun without requiring causing fear. Additionally, a increasing selection of eerie-charming titles featuring autumn atmosphere, yet without the keep-you-awake level of horror. Gloomy Eyes was released in September, and acts as an excellent comfortable alternative to the deeply scary titles of 2025.
An Original Single-Player Cooperative Adventure
Labeled as a single-player cooperative puzzle game, Gloomy Eyes pairs up a living-impaired child known as Gloomy and a living girl named Nena as they embark on an quest to restore sunlight to their gloomy environment. Their appearance evokes Funko Pops blended with the characters from a Laika film. The light-complected and heavy-lidded style borrows heavily from the appearance of Burtonesque cinema, and the plot is a quintessential suitable for everyone tale. These two forms an enduring bond over the span of the game’s numerous levels as Nena attempts to show to her priest uncle that, hey, maybe living-impaired beings can be friendly.
Creative Problem-Solving Features
This unique label comes about from the game’s interactive problem-solving. Once Gloomy and Nena encounter each other, players alternate amidst the recent allies to overcome obstacles and move forward through the levels. Being a zombie, Gloomy can’t walk through the illumination of a streetlight, while Nena may be grabbed by wandering undead except if a beam is directed on them.
They have to cooperate closely — in practice, you’ll use them in tandem — to finish levels. Nena could adjust or temporarily shut off lamps to open routes for Gloomy, while the open-brained character will employ his undead power to shift around obstacles in the surroundings, opening up paths for Nena.
Engaging Level Design
The puzzles evoke memories a bit of The Gardens Between, in the way the stages are suspended, miniature designs that the camera moves across in conjunction with your characters. Gloomy Eyes’ worlds are very enjoyable, leading the duo around a fair and through a haunted house, among other locations. There’s a “diorama view” option that allows you to view from afar and turn the areas, simultaneously to enjoy the designs and search for paths that may not have been apparent.
Small Issues and Complete Gameplay
Here lies one of the only problems with Gloomy Eyes. Comparable to other titles with a fixed perspective, occasionally it's confusing where the heroes can and cannot go. Players might have to randomly encounter a few random objects to determine which ones are interactable, as clues aren't consistently provided.
Nonetheless, those slight challenges don't hinder of a eerie-adorable enjoyable experience. Gloomy Eyes has a compact length, with approximately a few sessions worth of brain-teasers. Subsequent stages combine minor hidden movement and dynamic sequences with the puzzle solving, as Gloomy Eyes advances to a fulfilling — and slightly unforeseen — conclusion.
Release and Final Thoughts
Players steering clear of the terror of fear-inducing games won’t want to miss Gloomy Eyes. You can find it on Switch console, PS5, Windows PC, and Microsoft console, and is available at a reduced price for a discount on game marketplaces.
This charming title has been released on multiple platforms and delivers a pleasurable option for players in search of autumn enjoyment without fear factor.
